The Storm's Weathered
by LegendsGuardian
Summary: Sequel to Idle Recollections. Every now and then the Ronin Warriors need a time out from their normal lives to get together and reminisce. After all the storms they have weathered, will they be prepared for the next challenge should it ever arise?
1. Chapter 1: August 1996

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story, they are the sole property of their creators (Sunrise/Naogya TV/Bandai).

**Summary:** Sequel to Idle Recollections. Every now and then the Ronin Warriors need a time out from their normal lives to get together and reminisce. After all the storms they have weathered, will they be prepared for the next challenge should it ever arise? Rated 'T' for exceedingly mild language, and subject matter in later chapters. It's not the 'adult content' but it's definitely not suitable for kids. You'll know what it is when you get there.

**Key:**  
"Text" dialogue in speaker's native or commonly preferred language (in this case Japanese)

'_Text '_ thoughts/thought-speak; when a paragraph or more is italicized it means the scene is a flashback.

* * *

"The Storm's Weathered"

**August 1996**

By: LG

Save for the occasional typing on the keyboard, the room was oddly silent. Outside of it, the young man was sure there was chaos...You could expect no less from his family. If it wasn't noisy there was something wrong.

He had lucked out in getting this room to use as his office, as it was the only room on the premises that actually had thick enough walls to block out the racket. Papers lay strewn about the mahogany desk on which the computer sat...Papers, which had been neatly stacked **prior** to one of his siblings coming in to _'help.'_

Kento Rei Faun rubbed vigorously at his temples, a headache starting to come on. He jerked his head up when the phone started to ring, from somewhere underneath the confetti lying on his desk. He swore softly to himself hastily shoving papers out of his way, some fell to the floor...All the while, the phone continued to ring.

Ah his beloved siblings, Kento thought to himself as the phone neared the point where it'd cut off the caller, just one more reason for him to buy an answering machine.

"Hello?" He managed to get it just in time, or so he hoped. Yet, silence greeted him on the other end...However, the line was open.

The young man scowled, "Mei Ryu! I _swear, _if this is another one of your prank calls, I'm going to bust out my mystical armor. Proving that I didn't make it up, and then I'm gonna teach you a lesson."

The person on the other end of the line let out a deep snort in amusement, and Kento knew immediately it wasn't a prank call.

His face lit up, "Hey, Sage."

"Bust out your mystical armor?" The Halo Ronin chuckled, trying his best not to laugh outright.

"Heh, you don't have any younger brothers; they're nothing like little sisters. Little sisters are nice, little brothers?" the Warrior of Strength rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I wanna Iron-Rock-Crusher the numbskulls."

Sage let out a laugh, "With all the horror stories about your brothers that you've given me in the past? I'm even more thankful for Satsuki."

"Speaking of Suki, heard from her lately? She still crushin' on Ro?" Kento inquired, now holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he tried to straighten up his messy desk.

"No I haven't, and last I heard she was dating some boy from school," here Sage did not sound exactly thrilled, as he was quick to get to his point of calling, "Are you free this weekend, Kento?"

"Let me check," the Ronin of Hardrock dropped down the program he'd been working in, and opened up his planner, "Yeah, nothing's on the schedule."

"Good. Cye and Rowen are also available," there was a pause, before he continued on, "My grandfather is out of town he'll be leaving Friday morning, and mother is willing to let us all stay at the house until his return."

"You know your Mom is awesome, right?" Kento exited out of the planner, and pulled the other program back up, "But I do have to ask, what brought this about? I thought we were just going to wait to see each other until Pyro's birthday."

"We were, but I decided waiting another two weeks wasn't a good idea," Sage commented with a slight frown, "I'm worried about him."

Hardrock's bearer snorted into the phone, "Sage, when are you not worrying about Ryo? You worry about him more than Rowen, and I thought that was impossible. You proved me wrong though."

The Ronin of Light huffed, "Well I'm _so sorry_ that I woke up to find Ryo almost dead. That would traumatize any fourteen-year-old; worrying about him has easily become second nature since then."

"Oh believe me, I know," Kento said with a slight chuckle, he hadn't been aiming to ruffle feathers, "But why are you worried about him, _this time_?"

"Rowen saw him in Tokyo last week some time, and so they talked...Come to find out Ryo dropped out of college. Rowen also said that he looked like he had something on his mind," Sage answered slowly, "Kento, Ryo and I talk every week; he and Cye once every other. He never told either of us that he dropped out!"

"That's probably because he figured you'd both freak out," the Hardrock Ronin pointed out, "Which you are currently doing, may I add?"

"I'm not freaking out I'm concerned, Cye's the one who flipped out," the corner of Sage's lips twitched upwards briefly, recalling just how badly Cye had reacted. However, he quickly became solemn, "And that alone isn't what bothers me. For the past two weeks I've been getting the feeling from our bond that someone was upset, I called Ryo on it this morning."

"Oh, so it is him then?" Kento asked a slight frown on his face, dropping everything else he was doing so he could pay attention to the conversation.

"You've sensed it too?"

The Warrior of Strength sheepishly grinned, "Sort of, I get this vague impression of sadness. But, I've had an awful lot of headaches too. I had one that actually woke me up this morning at six. Never thought you could get a headache while you were sleeping..."

"I called him not twenty minutes later," the swordsman had a thoughtful look on his face, as he pondered over the new information.

"Weird that the bond is starting to act like this, but ever since we got these armors...It's like the more we try to pull away from each other, the more they want us aware of everyone else's feelings," Kento mused aloud, "Cause let's be honest, before Suzunagi showed up we were so into ourselves and trying to find our own paths that we just forgot each other."

"True," Sage acknowledged. If you would've talked to him back when they were still fighting the Dynasty, he would've told you Kento didn't have enough common sense and logic to pass middle school. But over the years, Hardrock's bearer had proven just how intelligent he could be...Though; it was obvious to Sage that Kento was more than content to play the role of the comedian and never let anyone know just how insightful he was.

"You know, it doesn't surprise me Ryo dropped out," Kento admitted, changing the phone to his other ear, after silence reigned for quite a few minutes.

Sage's eyebrows shot up, "What do you mean?"

The young man ran a hand through his purple-ash hairii, sighing trying to figure out the right way to word everything, "Just hear me out for a few minutes, okay? Ryo's a warrior and had training, just like the rest of us. But, Ryo was raised in a cabin away from the rest of the world. We had our families, Rowen had me, my family, and his other friends, all Ryo had was that cabin and White Blaze."

"Now," Kento took a breath and then plowed forward, "We all know the Ancient appeared to Ryo first, meaning Ryo was in training to be a Ronin Warrior long before the rest of us. Those of us learning how to fight were training in order to prepare to take over our clans someday; we weren't being trained to fight a war. By the time we got involved? Ryo had already known and been training with the Ancient for four yearsiiii."

There was another pause, this one somewhat awkward, "I guess the point I'm trying to get across here is, that the four of us always had something other than the fighting while Ryo didn't. So now that it's over, he isn't really sure how to move on. He doesn't think he can, because the fighting was all he ever knew. He can't let the armors go, because without them he would've never met us in the first place."

Kento was frowning as a minute passed and there was no response, he was hoping that it was due to the fact Sage was trying to absorb the information, and not because he'd fallen asleep or because the call had been cut off.

"Kento?" the Ronin of Halo asked quietly.

"Yes?" the frown on Hardrock's face deepened, Sage didn't normally talk in such a low tone.

Sage shook his head, bordering on amusement, "Remind me again, why are you an accountant? You should've been a therapist, or a counselor of some sort."

Kento eyed the diploma on the wall, reading that he had a Bachelor's in Business Accounting, for a brief moment trying to recall why exactly he had chosen to go into this line of work. Unable to come up with a reasonable one in his head, the young man merely laughed, "Hey, there's nothing to say that I can't pick it up later. Right now the family business needs me; you wouldn't believe how badly the figures were messed up before I straightened everything out."

Hardrock's bearer realized he would need to try and get Sage to lighten up a little bit after dealing with such a serious conversation. It was never a good idea to end things on too much of a serious note, especially with Sage...The way Kento saw it? The Ronin of Halo brooded enough as it was, if you could avoid giving him something else to worry over it made it all the better.

"I would've said something about what I thought was going on sooner, but I've been so busy lately. I'm luck that I can remember my own name," He said, once more holding the phone with his shoulder as he began to input a few numbers into the computer.

Sage saw an opening and couldn't let it pass him by, "Hardhead extraordinaire?"

"Yup," Kento remarked absently, briefly stopping what he was doing to cry, "Sage!"

The other man sniggered, "I'm sorry, couldn't help myself."

"No, that has nothing to do with it," Kento commented as he elaborated, "You showed that you actually do have a sense of humor. I'm stunned."

"Kiss my ass Hardrock," Halo's bearer retorted with a snort.

"Sorry blondie, I don't feel like bending over that far."

Sage laughed, feeling somewhat better now; leave it to the Ronin of Hardrock. Sage shook his head, saying, "Thanks Kento. Let's just hope you can work your magic on Ryo."

"I'll do my best," Kento quipped with a chuckle, "I'll see you Friday; I should get there about one or so."

"Okay then, later," Sage hung up the phone, and massaged his extremely sore ear...He was dreading when the telephone bill showed up. He had spent about thirty minutes on the phone with Ryo, an hour on the phone with Cye and then Rowen, and a hour-and-a-half with Kento. Then there was the fact he still had to call both Cye and Rowen back to find out what time they'd be coming.

"Good thing I have a nice long distance plan," Halo's bearer grumbled to himself.

Kento got up and stretched his stiff muscles, before bending over to pick up the papers that had fallen to the floor. He then spent a few minutes re-arranging everything on his desk, after saving what he'd been working on and shutting down the computer.

He cast one last look around the room, and with things seeming to be in order, he left, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Cye wasn't exactly sure what had brought about his sudden need for change, all he knew was that he needed one. The Ronin of Torrent may have had a bachelor's degree in the marine field, but he had yet to find a job that felt like it was the one for him. Thus he'd been working in the family business, and while he was extremely good at making pottery he slowly lost the interest and enjoyment that it had once held for him.

So here he was, once more back in Tokyo living in his old apartment, trying to figure out where he needed to go and what exactly he needed to do. Which was why newspaper ads and job applications lay strewn about the table...Or rather, his _side_ of the table seeing as how Rowen had unceremoniously shoved them over.

"So," Strata's bearer drawled out, tilting back in his chair in order to lift the front legs off the floor, "Kento and Ryo will be showing up on Friday too, huh?"

"Don't break my chair," the Torrent Ronin snapped out, amidst the pile of papers on his side of the table. "Yes, that's what Sage told me. Kento said he'd get there at one, I said we'd be there maybe a little after, but definitely before two-thirty."

"Why'd you give him such awkward times?" the bearer of Strata raised his blue-eyebrows in confusion, the chair's four legs were all on the floor now.

Cye smirked at him, "Because I know how long it takes you to get up in the morning."

Rowen snorted, rolling his eyes as he did so, "Gee, thanks a lot Cye."

"Oh you don't have to thank me yet," the Warrior of Trust continued to smirk, in fact now he was practically beaming, "I'll be at your place to wake you up on Friday."

"I hate you," the Strata Ronin sulked.

Cye shook his auburn head and laughed lightly, that was a typical response from Rowen...He was so used to hearing it, but he couldn't help but laugh every time the archer said it. If Rowen hated him so much, he wouldn't be here in _Cye's_ apartment, eating _Cye's_ food and pouring over one of _Cye's _Marine Biology books.

The Ronin of Torrent had re-rented the apartment earlier in the week, having moved back in yesterday afternoon. He had only been able to notify Sage of his change in address, before promptly falling asleep due to all the traveling.

Cye had planned on calling the others today, after he came back from picking up a few things at the store...Except, Rowen caught sight of him on the street and that was pretty much the end of both plans.

Rowen really reminded Torrent's bearer of a puppy, the one that followed you home after you gave it something small to eat because you felt sorry for it. It then stationed itself outside your door whining, and when you opened said door it looked up at you with these pitiful eyes, until you relented and finally let it in.

It would then proceed to eat you out of house and home...Cye was placidly wondering why he hadn't just drop-kicked this puppy down the hall. Oh well, too late now, but there was always a next time...That was practically _guaranteed_.

"If you hate me so much, why are you still sitting here?" the Ronin of Torrent inquired arching an eyebrow, having stilled his laughter.

"Because I really don't feel like going back to my dorm," Rowen admitted with a sheepish grin, "My roommate has been a total and complete pain lately. I'd much rather hang out here and bug you."

"You'll excuse me if I don't dance for joy," Torrent's bearer responded once more looking through the newspaper.

Rowen pouted a bit, trying to see if he could get some sort of reaction from his friend, "You're awfully crabby today Cye."

"You can leave at anytime free-loader," was the response.

The Strata Ronin fell silent trying to come up with some witty comeback, but could find none at this point. He let out a sigh and sank dejectedly into his seat, grabbing a cracker and starting to chew on it.

The Warrior of Trust knitted his brows together, picking up a highlighter and outlining a portion of the classified ad he was reading. He then put the cap back on it, and put the paper down to look at Rowen.

"All right, I'll give in," Cye said whilst crossing his arms in front of his chest, "What's the matter?"

"Have you ever wondered, 'why us?' Why out of the millions of people on this planet, we're the only ones who qualified for the armors?" Rowen inquired in a soft thoughtful voice, "They could've picked anyone, yet they came to us. Were we really that special, that different?"

It was odd for Torrent's bearer to hear this question coming from the Ronin of Strata; Rowen may have been young but had always come across as old and wise. To hear this, especially seeing as how Cye had often asked himself the same question, was enough to throw the man off, if only momentarily.

This time, it was Cye's turn to be the wise one and he easily slid into that role, "I have, and I've come to realize that the armors picked us out, because we are who we are. We were the embodiment of our virtues, the one's the Ancient instilled upon them, the ones he told them to look for. Each of us is special and different in our own way Rowen, and in others we're the same."

A small grin crossed the archer's face, the answer more than enough for him, as he commented, "You're starting to sound like Sage."

"Bugger off."

"And where did you ever pick up the British lingo?" He inquired, once more leaning back in the chair, seeing just how far he could press Torrent's buttons at this point.

Cye scowled, eyes narrowing at the blue-haired man, "I must've told you all, especially _you_, a thousand times now! My father used to do traveling for the company; I spent plenty of time in London when I was young so I picked it up. What about your horrible imitation of a New York accent, huh?" Two could **_so_** play at this game.

Rowen grinned smugly, "I'm a New Yorker at heart, Red Coat."

"Ya, you are a stupid Yankee," Cye admitted trying not to grin outright at the look on his friend's face.

For the second time that day, Rowen Hashiba was unable to come up with a witty retort. Sometimes? He really, _really_ hated Cye Mouri.

* * *

_A/N: Yes ladies and gentlemen, this would be the sequel to my Ryo One-shot "Idle Recollections." "The Storms Weathered" takes place directly after IR. As such the other Ronin are the main focus for a bit, Ryo doesn't show up until a later chapter. While it does not pertain to "The Gathering of the Legends" TSW can be taken as a prequel if you like. It does cover a few things I feel I skimped over in that story, but you don't have to read this to understand TGOL._

_1) Yes I know some people regard what I've used for Kento's hair-color as being a fanfic cliché. I found a tree though, the "Autumn Purple Ash" and in one picture the leaf color of it in fall was awfully close to Kento's hair in Message. So that's my reasoning for using 'purple-ash.'_

_2) According to most sites I've searched, Kaosu appeared to Ryo first in 1983. The Ronins/Troopers didn't get their armors until 1987; meaning the others didn't meet Kaosu until then. So Ryo was in training long before the others were._


	2. Chapter 2: Friday

* * *

**Chapter Two **

_**Friday**_

The week had dragged on at no more than a snail's crawl for him, and somehow Sage knew the others probably had the same sentiment there.

It was Friday now, and soon his four friends would be here in Sendai …And for the next couple of days the earth's saviors would be in the same location.

His Grandfather's train would be leaving just about now, Halo's bearer reasoned in his head. Sage had promised his mother he would arrive at the house no later than eight o'clock, and according to the clock in his car it was only seven-thirty.

The blond swordsman had only one more mile to go before he would be home; so he had pulled off the road onto a dirt path. He then parked his car a little off of that, and sat down to meditate.

There was really no explanation for his sudden desire to do so, only that it was there and it was best he answer it. The armor he bore was growing increasingly restless; perhaps it was sensing something to come? Well, that was a possibility.

With the past form of the Halo armor, he had never really trusted it…It had taken time for him to establish a working connection with it, and when the New York issue occurred…Well, he had lost faith in it, and himself. It had taken a long time for Sage to trust himself again, and he had never fully regained his trust in the Halo armor.

This armor, the one Suzunagi had given to him, he had not trusted at the start either. He had been cautious; they all had after wearing them and testing their capabilities for the first time. However, he had learned to trust this version of Halo even though he had only worn it twice.

There was no evil in it, no malice…Sage and Rowen had assumed that Suzunagi had created the armors out of her hatred for what the other armor had caused, and that was why they were so much stronger…But, they had ended up slashing that theory.

They might have been created out of hate and anger in the beginning, but once the five Ronins had purified the anguished spirit, they had ended up purifying the armors she created.

Meaning whatever hatred had been placed in them, was also gone. Sage only prayed that they never had to make use of the Inferno armor, for the prospect of using that armor worried him greatly. If the five armors were this strong, and no doubt stronger, then he feared what Inferno could do.

Something was coming; Halo knew it and was making its bearer aware of that fact, and it seemed Wildfire was doing the same. There was no other reason for Ryo to be acting the way he was, and it would also explain the changes they were experiencing.

They had always been able to sense where the enemy was, and to an extent each other. But now, so long as they were within twenty-miles, they could immediately locate each other…They could be blindfolded and still pull it off. Sage ought to know, he had permitted himself to be a guinea pig (though he hadn't been one willingly), in the experiment Rowen wanted to conduct to prove whether or not it could be done.

The roles had then been switched, because Rowen wanted to see if someone who wasn't strictly empathic could be able to do the same. Needless to say after Rowen got his way (meaning each of the others had to go through his experiment too), the fact of the matter was each Ronin was capable of sensing where the others were.

That alone hadn't been a bad thing, or a real warning sign…What had been the thing to set off the warning flags, was their ability to mentally communicate.

The Warrior of Hardrock had been the one to stumble across it, solely by accident at Cye's birthday party. Rowen had made a rather rude comment, and Kento had instantly started in on him for saying such a thing. The issue? Rowen hadn't said it aloud.

If that hadn't been disconcerting, Sage didn't know what else was…And by the end of that night each of them had experienced something similar to that. The five of them hadn't known what to make of it, and had tried to blame it off on coincidence or the drinks. However, the next day it had been the same thing. It wasn't that they were constantly hearing one another's thoughts, it was more like they were catching comments that the person was going to make aloud, but didn't.

* * *

The Ronin of Halo had no way to try and explain it, and the ever-logical Rowen had also been drawing a complete and total blank. At their next meeting it had occurred again, and Sage could tell that whatever was happening to them was progressing at a rapid rate.

He had finally decided to ask Mia what she thought; the woman had been more than willing to listen and then add her comments to the matter. The answer he got was that it was some form of telepathic communication.

The armors from Talpa had been strong, but these were even more powerful. She seemed to believe that because of this the bond between each Ronin was getting stronger. It was possible that to ensure that the five remained close friends, the armors were allowing them to tap into things even those with belief in the supernatural could not understand.

Sage remembered his reaction near-perfectly, the look of shock and slight horror on his face he was sure Mia would never forget; they could read each other's minds?!

Mia had shook her head at him, laughing lightly in amusement at his apparent worry; no, telepathic communication was the ability to hold a normal conversation across a mental (or mind)-link. It was words without speaking them aloud; mind-reading went past that, allowing someone to read a person's private thoughts. One thing did not normally lead to another.

The blond swordsman had merely blinked at her in stunned surprise, the question he so badly wanted to ask hung in the air and she was quick to answer it for him. It turns out that Mia had a friend or two who delved into the supernatural; the one was just 'into' that sort of thing. The other was the granddaughter of a shaman and believed very much in "strange occurrences," and was telepathic to an extent.

Oh, Sage was sure his face, which was normally emotionless, had quickly changed to that of guarded skepticism. He had politely queried of Mia whether or not she might be able to ask this friend of hers for some more information.

The red-head had grinned at him, saying that she would and went on to point out he had little right to be a skeptic seeing as how he was empathic himself. Add to the fact that he bore a mystical armor, and had been fighting demons and other things that were not supposed to exist he really shouldn't be so surprised that there were people out there.

Okay, the Halo Ronin had to admit Mia made a valuable point, but he could not help but be distrustful. He would take everything with an open mind, however he would hold out a verdict (as to whether or not the person was a fraud) until he had all the information in hand.

It had not been even a week later when an excited Mia Koji had called him up, announcing that her friend had sent her almost everything he and the others would need and perhaps more.

And yes, Mia had been middle-woman for a reason. She knew that Sage and the others would like to remain anonymous, and plus her friend was overly cautious and did not like revealing the fact she was different anyway. In the end, it had worked out best that Mia played the role of go-between.

Sage had received the box of goods the next day. It contained a few books as well as handwritten notes on how to make use of the ability and how to practice with it. All in all he found the information to be very reliable…Some of it was frighteningly accurate as a matter of fact.

Granted the Ronin of Halo had known all along that there were those out there with unique abilities not so different from his own, but when it came to telepathy or psychics he had steered clear of it. Needless to say, Sage had somewhat changed his view of people who had those type of gifts. Not all of them were frauds after all.

Since that time, he and the other for had read the information and put it to good use. They were still learning the full extent of the telepathic ability, but for now they had the basics pretty down pat.

Halo's bearer slowly came out of his meditative state, having sensed something or someone close by him. The minute he felt himself return to the world around him, he snapped his eyes open.

* * *

It took him several moments to try and focus on whatever it was that was positioned directly in front of him. However once the young man could clearly see again, he set about trying to identify the 'intrusion.'

The first thing that caught Sage's attention was the extremely large and glistening teeth the creature had. The next thing he took note of was the beast's massive frame, and the large claws that could rip him to shreds without a moment's notice.

The way the eyes were set into the animal's face further confirmed the fact that it was a predator (as if all the other signs had not been enough). Taking in all of this, the blond swordsman could only do one thing.

He let out a chuckle in amusement, and then calmly stated, "You are early."

White Blaze tilted his head as if thinking the statement over before giving a bored yawn. He then proceeded to gently butt the man in the shoulder with his head, and let out a low rumble.

Sage smiled running a hand through the tiger's fur, and then pulled himself to his feet, "It is good to see you as well."

Sure, he couldn't understand the cat word for word…The only one even remotely capable of that was Ryo and even he did not know the tiger's thoughts…But, the Halo Ronin had a pretty good idea what message the great cat was trying to convey.

"Want to race?" the young man queried with a small grin.

White Blaze let out a load roar in answer, watching in mild amusement as Sage dashed off to his car. The tiger waited until he heard the car's engine start before taking off at a full run; proceeding to pass the Halo Ronin and leave him in the dust.

* * *

The Hardrock Ronin had probably left the house at little more than a light jog. It wasn't that he was in a hurry to get away from his family (okay, it _might_ have been _part_ of it); he just wanted to see the others. As far as Kento was concerned, you couldn't beat getting the chance to see four people, that had become an integral part of your life, sooner than what had been originally planned.

Sure, he couldn't deny the fact that their lives had taken different paths, but the five of them had fought to stay together…To not forget everything they had been through and all that they had learned.

It was not always that way, though. It had been tempting…Extremely tempting, after the destruction of the original armors to forget, and try to ignore the past altogether.

The incident in Africa had been the one thing that had almost completely shattered the bond they had, that string of fate connecting them. Yet, during the period of time that elapsed between them coming home and Suzunagi appearing, Kento had found that he was unwilling to forget.

Kento could not lie and say that the experiences that he gained through the armors had been wonderful. Things had been difficult and at times unbearable, but he couldn't just ignore what he had gained because of the fights.

He had gained four true-honest friends, if it were not for the armors he would have never had that. The others may have shared that sentiment at the time, but he wasn't quite sure. All he was aware of was the fact that none of them had made an effort to stick together.

Phone-calls had been brief and sporadic, letters few and far in between, but none of that was under their control. Real life had all too easily gotten in the way of the friendship they had attained for so long. They had thought they were finished with being Ronin Warriors, which meant their other responsibilities in life had taken up point.

Those obligations had not permitted time to get together with people you used to go around saving the world with. To a point, the five young men had become obsessed with becoming apart of the world they had spent protecting for a large portion of their teenage years.

Kento knew that he had wanted to do right by his family, and in order to do so he just did not have enough time to spend trying to talk with the others. Seeing them was practically out of the question, unless they decided to stop by the restaurant. Had they even wanted to deal with each other after Africa ?

Hardrock's bearer was a little lost on that matter; for the first few weeks they had kept in constant contact just making sure that everything was okay. Maybe they were purposely trying to avoid each other and just using their other obligations as an excuse…No one would ever be able to say for certain, and it didn't matter anyway.

When Suzunagi showed up, she had managed to turn the world they were trying to 'belong in' upside down. She had stated the truest fact of them all: the five of them would always be Ronin Warriors. The burden of the armors would always be theirs to shoulder.

Now this could be looked at in two ways. One way was to focus on the negative aspect: that when the time came for it each of them would have to fight again. Every time there was a greater evil the world could not handle it would become their responsibility to deal with it.

The more positive aspect? Even though they had to fight, it did not have to be done solo. No matter how bad it got, they still had each other and their friendship to fall back on. That friendship counted for a lot, they had managed to get through just about everything together. In the end, the five had decided to focus on that aspect.

The result of this would be what had led to the numerous reunions, birthday parties, and general get-togethers; the desire to keep that friendship strong and not let it fail. In the odd chance that some new evil decided to appear, they were going to be ready for it.

* * *

Kento ran a hand through his hair and sighed, the train was just now pulling into the Sendai station. He drew his thoughts inward though, waiting for the train to come to a complete stop.

The Warrior of Strength was not going to lie to himself; he was antsy. Something was up, and the Hardrock armor was there in the back of his mind telling him to pay attention…To keep alert despite how calm things looked.

It would be nice, well more along the lines of considerate, if the armors could say in specific terms what was going on, or what was going to happen. But, it wasn't like the things could actually talk (at least they hadn't yet and he was hoping they never would).

He would say one thing for certain; the armors were definitely good at giving off feelings. Well, he suspected you could call them feelings…More like general impressions or thoughts, maybe? Bah, this was frustrating and he was getting way too off topic.

Kento rubbed at his forehead trying to hold off a headache, "Whatever happened to my leaving the heavy thinking to Sage and Rowen?"

The young man shrugged his shoulders as if in answer to his rhetorical question, and got to his feet swiping his bag as he did so.

He waited semi-patiently for the doors on the car to open, his thoughts now revolving around the current issue at hand…Ryo. Kento could only imagine how much Wildfire was prodding at the young man, but it was safe to assume it was a lot. Ryo was not the type of person to get out of sorts for no reason…The armor had to be getting on the guy's last nerve.

The minute the doors opened, Hardrock's bearer stepped off the train. That had definitely been a long trip…Way too long. His blue-eyes quickly scanned the crowd around him, looking for _that_ hair.

'_Poor Sage, it doesn't matter where he goes,_' Kento thought with a whimsical grin, _'The guy stands out like a sore thumb.'_

The little voice in the back of Kento's head quipped up about how it certainly didn't help that the swordsman was prone to leaning against a building, or a wall, or something. Kento pushed the voice aside, Sage was the type of person that was _always _on guard; even when he was relaxing he was still alert.

In any case, knowing the man's tendencies made if far easier to locate him (the hair was merely a dead give-away as to who he was). Kento spied the swordsman leaning against the wall of the station arms crossed in front of his chest, his head bent slightly.

The Hardrock Ronin quirked an eyebrow, he was not actually sleeping was he? Well, just to be on the safe side Kento proceeded to bellow out his greeting, "Yo, Sage!"

Halo's bearer was quick to look up when he heard his name called, and he offered a small grin, "Hey, you made good time."

The Chinese man beamed in response to this, the two men exchanged bows as per tradition, and then shook hands. Kento might have given Sage a hug, but the swordsman had called back (after their original phone call) and promised a fate worse than death if the man dared try it.

Now, Hardrock's bearer knew for a fact that the Ronin of Halo had only been joking.. However, he had seen what Sage could do to an enemy and _really_ didn't feel like testing his luck.

"Yah, guess so. It's killer being cramped up on the train though," Kento grimaced as he rolled his shoulder's trying to loosen them up.

Sage chuckled despite himself; he had traveled by train often enough and knew all-too-well. He offered, "Let's take a walk then, if you're stiff. By the time we finish Rowen and Cye should be in."

Kento looked at the swordsman, eyes wide in disbelief and alarm, "Cye's going to be here on time, _with_ Rowen?"

The Halo Ronin gave a nod slightly perplexed at the man's reaction, "Yes, they should be here in about fifteen minutes."

The Warrior of Strength groaned in despair, wailing out, "We're going to get hit by a tsunami!"

"Ha ha, Kento," Sage dryly commented, rolling his eyes heavenward. Though, Hardrock's bearer did have a pretty good point. Rowen Hashiba being _anywhere _on time pretty much signified the world coming to an end.

* * *

Rowen had been awoken in one of his _least_ favorite ways, which just so happened to be Cye's _favorite_ way of waking him up. Meaning ice cold water had been thrown in his face, and then he'd been wrenched out of bed ending up hitting the hard, freezing, floor with a thud.

To this treatment, the blue-haired archer hadn't even bothered to open an eye, he merely grumbled out an 'I-hate-you' (at least, it might have been that), then proceeded to haul himself to his feet before getting ready to head out. Somewhere amidst that, he'd opened his eyes to shoot the ugliest look he could muster to Torrent. Needless to say, it had not been that much of a threatening look since Cye had merely sniggered at him.

Rowen was an archer and could hit the center of a target blind-folded; basically he could walk around and perform his morning routine without opening his eyes at all. The only reason he had bothered this time, was because he had felt the need to glower at Cye.

Until the Strata Ronin got his first cup of caffeine, at a small place on the way to the station, he had not said a word. It wasn't like Torrent's bearer had actually expected one; he knew Rowen just as well as the others. You could not talk to the archer, or expect him to talk to you first thing in the morning without some sort of stimulant in his system.

After that point, the two had talked about the little things, deciding to save the more important discussion for the train ride.

What was that important discussion? What else, the Ronin of Wildfire and his current attitude, as well as the armors apparent restlessness. It might not have seemed like a big deal, but to them it was a justified cause for concern.

They had learned not to ignore the _little things_ over the years, as they always tended to be warnings signs of worse things to come.

Granted the discussion had last about five minutes before Cye dozed off, but Rowen had left Torrent alone.

The archer had a system; he would think things through by himself, and then compare his findings with others. Normally, he did said comparisons with Sage, but as of late it had been Cye. This was mainly due to the fact that the Ronin of Water was closer by than Halo's bearer was.

True there were phone conversations, but those just weren't good enough. Rowen happened to like being able to see the person he was talking to, that way he could better gauge their reaction. Of course, when you were talking to Sage it wasn't like you could gauge his reaction based on his facial features.

* * *

Rowen got to his feet after the train had pulled to a stop, "Cye?" He reached over and gently shook the sleeping Torrent Ronin.

Sea-green eyes opened blearily, "Hm?"

"We're here," the archer commented with a small grin, quick to add, "Guess I'm not the only one with problems waking up."

Cye muttered something under his breath as he got up grabbing his duffel bag, making sure he hit Rowen with it at least once, before getting off the train.

Once on the platform his eyes roved over the crowd, a slight frown on his face, "It's packed today."

"Yeah it is, isn't it? Just look for a blond poofball and you're set," Rowen commented with a smirk, looking for said 'poofball.'

Cye snorted deeply, rolling his eyes, "You realize we'll be sunk if Sage ever decides to dye his hair black?"

To this the Ronin of Strata made a face, "Sage's complexion is way too light for dark hair. He'd look extremely creepy if he had black hair. Granted, not like he isn't already, but that'd make it worse." Rowen visible shuddered, "With those eyes of his and black hair, I mean-"

Cye had already stopped listening to Rowen by that point, having picked out who they were looking for, the archer was too busy ranting to notice.

* * *

Kento had seen his two friends and grinned, jabbing the dozing blond beside him.

"Honestly Sage," the Hardrock Ronin complained once he knew he had the swordsman's attention, "Why don't you try sleeping in for once?

Sage rubbed at his side, sending a light glare at Kento, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're always falling asleep while you're standing up," the man clarified, "Stop getting up before the birds, and you won't need so many power naps."

The Ronin of Halo rolled his eyes heavenward, "Thanks a lot, _Mom_."

"Don't mention it, my little cupcake," Kento retorted.

Sage raised an eyebrow, and blankly stared at Hardrock, "_Cupcake_?"

The Warrior of Strength shrugged, "It's what Mom calls ya. I think she gets it from your hair-style."

"Oh great," the blond swordsman mumbled out, "As if it wasn't bad enough…I just had to ask."

Kento chuckled low in his throat and moved forward to greet Rowen and Cye, "Dudes! You're here and the world hasn't ended."

"Oh very funny Kento," the blue-haired archer huffed though he was grinning.

In Japanese culture outward displays of affection in public were normally frowned upon, this was a fact Kento knew well, and quite frankly didn't care about.

He proceeded to smother Cye and Rowen, both of which merely shook their heads at his exuberance. They were used to it. Plus doing such things normally got people to stop staring their way; it always gave Sage a breather.

It was just one more thing that had become a habit with them. Not that any of them happened to mind.

* * *

"So, Ryo's now showing up till three hours from now?" Rowen queried as he and the others walked to where Sage had parked.

The blond swordsman gave a nod, "Yes, and no he doesn't know any of you are here. Part of why I want to get you there, plus I'm sure you'll want to stretch your limbs. That, and Mother is expecting you."

Cye gave a grin at hearing this. Sage's mother was an absolute lovely woman. White strict in certain aspects of her life and dealing with others, she was also a warm and caring soul. He very much looked forward to seeing her again.

"Shot gun," Torrent's bearer called out, putting his luggage in the trunk which Sage had unlocked. Cye then headed for, and jumped in the front seat.

"Hey!" Kento and Rowen both protested, but knowing it was already too late. The two put their things in the trunk, and then got in the back. Sage closed it, not wanting either man to put a dent in his precious vehicle.

The swordsman then casually got into the driver's seat, and without a word started the car, pulled out of the spot he'd parked in, and drove off.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, Kento's comment is a modified version of the saying 'we're going to have a blizzard.' Really, I can't see Rowen being anywhere on time, ever. He just doesn't come across as the 'punctual' type. Thanks for the reviews last chapter!_

_-LG_


	3. Chapter 3 Friday Afternoon

_A/N: And here is Chapter Three for your viewing pleasure. :)_

**Chapter Three **

_**Friday- Afternoon**_

* * *

"Date-san, tadiama!" Kento cheerfully called out as he brought the luggage into the house.

"Ah, Kento-kun," Sage's mother, Kazue, greeted with a smile and a bow of her head, "How good it is to see you again."

"Date-san," Rowen brought in now quick to bow his head. "Always good to see you."

"And you Ro-chan, oh and Cye-chan of course," the woman said acknowledging the fact Torrent had just walked in with her son.

"'Ello, how have you been?"

"Very well thank-you," Kazue's voice came out with a light laugh. "The room you normally use is ready. There is food leftover that will simply need to be heated up, if you become hungry."

"Thanks! You really are the best," Hardrock's bearer said to her with a wide grin.

The woman permitted herself a chuckle as she picked up her car keys, "I try."

She then turned her attention to Sage, "Have fun, Seiji. I'll be back tomorrow evening or so. Your father was absolutely adamant about us going out."

Sage gave her a nod, murmured out a polite farewell and wished her to be safe, before she walked to the door calling out over her shoulder, "Goodbye, minna. See you later." She then headed out of the house.

The swordsman of Halo chuckled after her, and then said to the others, "Let me help get you guys situated. You weren't all that talkative in the car."

"This from the group wall ornament?" Cye remarked in amusement, as he took his bag from Kento. Subtly hinting at the fact he was more than capable of carrying his own luggage, though he was thankful for the offer.

"Hey careful there," Sage remarked, as a smirk slid across his face. "You're slipping into the role of group smart-ass."

Kento was quick to add, "He's right, you keep it up and Ro will be stuck solely as team "obvious statement" maker."

"Why don't ya _all_ shuddup?" the archer griped.

The three exchanged looks, said 'nah', and then laughed at him. Rowen _failed_ to be amused.

* * *

_**Ryo's Day**_

He had awoken early, gotten ready for the day, and then double-checked to make sure he had everything ready to go.

Ryo now ran a hand through his raven locks, and let out a forlorn sigh. Why was he doing this again? It was not like Sage had actually pressured him into going out to Sendai for a bit of rest and relaxation.

The swordsman had promised to call the others and see if they would be able to make it out. But, the Ronin of Wildfire doubted very much the other three would be able to get away from their lives so he had long ago come to accept the fact they weren't going.

"Meh," the Ronin Leader moodily grumbled. He had once more headed outside to check and see where his tiger companion had gotten to.

The cat had simply vanished without a trace. It wasn't odd for White Blaze to do such things, but what was really getting to Ryo was the tiger's timing. He had always made sure to let the majestic creature know when he was leaving and how long he'd be gone for.

Well, this time it looked like he was going to have to leave without saying goodbye. He checked his watch to confirm the fact, and…Yes, if he didn't go right now he was going to be late.

Ryo went back inside and grabbed his things, locked the cabin door behind him, threw the carryon bag into the deteriorating car which his father at one time called state of the art.

Most times, Ryo walked to wherever he needed to go simply because the thing was anything but reliable. But he had no plans of walking to the train station as it was too long a trek, number one, and number two he'd be unable to run and catch the next if this train was somehow late.

The Ronin of Wildfire started the vehicle though it spurted it's aggravation before giving a violent lurch backwards when he lightly pressed the gas peddle. Luckily, Ryo was used to the cantankerous thing and simply continued along without noticing.

He really hoped the trip itself would go well. However, he knew better than to count on it. Especially, with the way his life seemed to be going lately.

* * *

Ryo snatched his carryon and the minute the doors open he practically jumped off, and sprinted to the next train, all the while cursing his luck. The first train had been late, like he had figured it would be.

Now, he could see his connecting train and noted the doors were starting to close…

A loose swear escaped from his lips as he put on a burst of speed and squeezed through just as the doors slammed shut. He dropped into the first empty seat, panting heavily.

After a minute or two, Ryo had gained enough breath back to put away his bag. He then leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. He really wished Fate would find someone else to ruthlessly harass.

By the time the Ronin of Wildfire got into the Sendai station, he was completely worn out. He wearily exited the train and let out a long sigh.

Ryo pinched at the bridge of his nose with his free hand, and tried to ward off the headache that was fast approaching. He then tried to focus on finding Sage.

His vivid-blue eyes scanned the crowd, as he began to walk forward all the while looking for the swordsman. Normally, in a sea of black hair, Sage's blond stood out all too well.

None of the others ever made it a point of letting Halo's bearer know that was mainly how they found him in a crowd. Sage got enough comments about his looks from complete strangers, as it was. There was no need for the four of them to make any.

"Where is he?" Ryo grumbled out, unable to find the man. "Sage is _never_ late to anything. Knowing him, he's been here for fifteen minutes already."

With another long exhale, the Ronin of Wildfire continued to search for his friend.

* * *

Sage and the others had spent their time throwing idle talk around, before the swordsman had looked up at the clock to check the time. He had climbed to his feet, and told them that he would be back shortly.

The Ronin of Halo had arrived at the station twenty minutes early, and loitered around after finding out Ryo's train would be getting in late to the station.

Now that it had finally pulled in, Sage waited for his leader to step off. He knew the moment Ryo exited the train, and his violet eyes easily picked him out of the crowd.

The swordsman casually approached his friend, and then tapped him on the shoulder.

Ryo whirled around slightly startled, and then let out a laugh, "You found me first."

"Don't I normally?" Sage smoothly queried, effortlessly taking the bag Ryo held.

"Hey!"

"No protests, you look like you've had a harrowing trip," the swordsman said with a small grin, as he added, "What sort of host would I be, if I didn't cater to my guests?"

Ryo shook his head, "Kento's right. You and Cye _have_ been talking too much."

The swordsman chuckled at hearing this, "Come on, car's this way."

Ryo dutifully followed allowing his thoughts to sweep him away, until the sound of Sage slamming down the car trunk jerked him from his thoughts.

"Would you like to walk back?" the Halo Ronin queried with a raised eyebrow.

Ryo grumbled as he got into the passenger's seat, "Very funny."

"I thought it was," the blond quipped as he got into the car as well.

"You're in a good mood," the Wildfire Ronin remarked in amusement.

Sage snorted out this, "Too out of character for you?"

"Not yet," Ryo said with a smirk. "Start singing British ballads? I'll jump out of the car."

"Only if you let me speed up _**before**_ you jump out."

"Nice Sage, real nice. You've been talking to Rowen too much, as well it seems."

"Hey he was my best friend first," the blond pointed out.

"Mm," Ryo gave a nod in agreement, turning his eyes to the window and sighing.

Sage cast a side-ways glance to his friend, "Exactly how bad was the trip?"

"Awful," Wildfire's bearer mumbled out. "I haven't had a great week, either. Firm downsized, so I'm out of a job. Had to replace most of the piping in the cabin, and the yard's a mess. Let's see, the fridge broke yesterday. Oh and "The Clunker" practically died on the way to the train station."

Ryo paused, "Today? The first train was late, so I nearly missed the connecting one. Then this one got held up in the station for almost twenty minutes. And to top it off, Blaze is missing…" He stopped when Sage chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"The tiger showed up at my family's home, before I did," the swordsman was grinning, "He then back-tracked and came across me. I had pulled over to do some meditating; when I came out of it, he was there."

"I never told him I was going though. He had to have overheard the phone conversation. Sometimes, he's _too_ smart," Ryo then tilted his head, "So, he beat me here huh?"

"Yeah, he did," the swordsman turned his attention back to the drive. Blaze had happened to beat everyone, not like it was unusual. Ryo was right the cat was way too smart.

* * *

The rest of the ride was rather quiet, as Ryo kept his eyes glued to the window, staring at the scenery. Sage had tried to talk, but the questions he asked only received one word answers. The swordsman had thus admitted defeat, by giving an irritated sigh and going silent.

As they pulled into the Date home, Sage turned off the car and the Ronin of Wildfire continued to stare off into space. By the point Halo's bearer had gotten out of the car and retrieved Ryo's bag, he then bumped him in the shoulder.

"We're here."

"Ah, sorry," the Ronin Leader quickly got out and started to walk up to the house. He paused when he noticed Sage was not with him, in fact the swordsman had walked in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?"

"To check the mail," Sage called back over his shoulder. "I'll be right up."

"Weirdo," Ryo muttered in amusement, before resuming his walk.

* * *

Once more the young man became lost in thought, which was a rather grave mistake on his part.

In a matter of seconds he was taken and pinned to the ground by something that weighed much more than he did.

White Blaze gave a contented rumbled, before proceeding to like his cub's face. The cat squinted his eyes to further show his pleasure.

Ryo let out a laugh having hugged the tiger, before gently pushing him off. He then said in a teasing tone, "You could have left a note before you took off."

The tiger gave an indignant snort at this and then padded up to the house. Ryo got to his feet blinking in slight confusion.

The Ronin of Halo had returned, and commented with a chuckle, "You should know better. Cat's do _not_ like to be reprimanded."

"Apparently."

* * *

_A/N: _

_1__ San: honorific used to denote respect; it is being used with regard to age difference_

_Tadiama: I'm back/home I know some people have 'problems' when writers input Japanese phrases into their works; the comment that it's a writer "showing off" since the Ronin are normally in Japan and would be speaking it anyway. Well, they can go right ahead and keep on claiming that. I happen to use the phrases simply because that's how I hear them in my head, and often times the English equivalent of the Japanese word fails to do the situation justice, if not reads awkwardly.. My thoughts? To each their own._

_2__ Kazue: means "branch, first blessing, harmonious" If anyone can come up with official names for Seiji's parents please let me know, that way I can change them so that they are accurate. _

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

_-LG_


	4. Chapter 4: Friday Afternoon Cont

_A/n: This would be the chapter the rating was for...Take what you want from it._

**Chapter Four **

**_Friday- Continued_**

The Ronin Leader was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he failed to notice Sage lagging behind him. Even if he had, he probably wouldn't have thought anything of it. Sage was normally not too far from him as it was.

Ryo entered and mumbled out what had to have been an announcement of his presence, before kicking off his shoes and letting out a forlorn sigh. Not even a full second later?

He found himself in a full body-bind...Actually, it was just one of Kento's bone-crushing, life-ending, hugs. The Chinese man then quickly got his friend into a headlock, "There you are! Even the late sleeper got here, _before_ you."

"K-Kento!" Ryo protested as he laughed at his friend's exuberance, "Come on, lemme go?"

"Only if you answer questions," Hardrock's bearer said in a serious tone, one that gave a person a sense of foreboding. He then cheerfully inquired, "How's my buddy?" He then paused, seemed to gauge his options and added, "Noogie!"

"I'm fine," the Ronin Leader managed to get loose, and pushed at him, "Nut."

"I'm Chinese," the bearer of Hardrock scoffed, as if it explained everything.

Rowen snorted, having moved and grabbed Ryo in a brief hug, he arched a blue-eyebrow at Hardrock, "The hell kind of excuse is that?" He then grinned at Ryo, "Good to see ya."

"Better than the," Kento sounded rather smug, as he continued, "I-am-smarter-than-everyone-else-thus-I-must-make-obvious-statements excuse."

"Oi, I oughta," the archer bit out, eyes narrowed at his friend.

Cye rolled his eyes at their banter, saying in greeting to Wildfire's bearer, "Consider this an _early_ birthday present, courtesy of Sage."

"Don't try and give me credit," the blond's voice rang out, he had moved on into the kitchen to begin heating up the food. "I figured we all needed the time out, anyway."

"I sure did," Strata's bearer commented, making a face. He then turned his attention to his leader, "Wow pal, you feeling okay? You look like you spent the week with my roommate."

Ryo tilted his head, "I thought you had a different one now?"

"Oh I do," Rowen moaned out as he and the others walked to the kitchen. He then flopped down on the floor, before scooting up and sitting in front of the table. "Except, all she does is whine, talk on the phone all night, or find ways to latch on to me."

Kento immediately burst out laughing at hearing this, "Geeze, Ro, sounds awful. What a pickle to be in."

"Shuddup," the archer griped hearing the taunting tone in Hardrock's voice.

Cye had moved to help Sage in the kitchen, but had been rebuffed by the swordsman, who said he could handle it for now. The Ronin of Torrent gave a light shrug of his shoulders and then sat down next to Strata's bearer.

He gave a derisive snort, adding into the conversation, "Oh it's _dreadful_ all right. He's practically _living_ in my apartment, and I haven't been there more than a week."

Kento proceeded to crack up upon hearing this, while Rowen shot the man sitting next to him an extremely dirty look. Cye merely smirked at this, and the archer's eye started to twitch.

Sage called out in warning that if they wanted to brawl they could take it outside, because he was not going to be the one stuck explaining why the kitchen look like a bomb had exploded in it.

Ryo merely chuckled at it all, and shook his head in mirth. He was glad to see them, all of them. It was times like these that he was thankful he had never had to fight alone. He knew all too well that he would have _never_ survived without them.

* * *

After supper and the clean up following after it...They had gotten settled in for the night in order to do what they did best, talk.

First, it started off with menial things. Sports, local news to international news, and anything that might fall between those two points was how they started off most of their group talks like this one. After not seeing each other for so long, one would think they'd jump right into family and life...But, they always took their time in getting to that.

Current things in their lives, how their families were, and things of that nature took the second part of their talks. They could spend up to an hour talking about that, sometimes more. And after being together for so long, even Sage participated adding his own insight here and there, only when he felt it was needed, or someone steered the conversation to him.

But, as always, their talks would shift onto a subject darker and with a deeper meaning for the five of them...Their pasts as Ronin Warriors.

It was a subject they would often frequent, at times talking about their battles were difficult...Yet, they all knew keeping it inside and dwelling on the things that had happened was worse. A fact that had come only with personal experience...An experience each of them had at one time or another.

Talking about it really did help, maybe not immediately but in the end it kept them sane and away from taking extreme measures. Not that they had never contemplated taking such measures, because they had. It was a fact each of them knew and accepted.

Depression was normal amongst typical teenagers. How could one expect five fourteen-year-olds that had to fight things that should not exist, and nearly die in their attempts, not to deal with some of the more severe forms of it?

Especially when they were stuck dealing with such things throughout their teenage years? It just wasn't possible to go through something like that without having to deal with the inner scars left behind.

Whenever one of them got into a state of depression, the other four knew about it...And when the one did not want the others help, they left him be. Only when it went on for too long, or got to the point where they were concerned for that person's health would they intervene.

After going through so much together, and nearly losing everything more times than they could begin, or even want, to count...The bouts of depression had just become another demon for them to destroy, and yet another they had learned was more easily taken down if they faced it together.

Of course, the talks about the past fights were not always grim. They did what they could to make light of the dark situations. Tonight's topic? It would be on when Kayura first showed up.

Ryo gave a wide grin, "Ya, she drops the shadow act, and the first words out of his mouth," he jerked a thumb at Rowen. "Lady Kayura! She's a girl. No duh, Ro."

The archer scowled at this, and retorted, "Oh yeah? What about your comment, huh? 'You got that right.'"

Kento sniggered at them, and admitted with a half-grin, "You know for a female with such a dominating personality? She was a _babe_..."

Sage let out a low moan under his breath, something almost akin to a wounded dog's whimper. He did _not_ need to hear such remarks, ever. Maybe this had not been such a grand idea after all. He had stopped taking part in the conversation ten minutes ago, closing his eyes since they were starting to bother him.

Cye chortled at the Warrior of Strength's comment, jibing, "I think Ro agrees with you Kento."

"Shuddup you," the archer warned, his ears slightly red. "Don't make me get up, 'cause I _will_ throttle you."

"Oh will you really?" the Torrent Ronin challenged, a smirk on his face.

Ryo knew a potential roughhousing brawl when he heard one. The Ronin Leader proceeded to let out a yawn, "Settle you guys. Let's just get some sleep. Traveling by train is _tiring._"

"Kill joy," Kento told him, "I was hoping to watch Cye wipe the floor with Rowen!"

"Too late for that, they can kill each other tomorrow," the blond swordsman brought in.

All four jumped and shot glances at the form, they had figured Sage had fallen asleep.

Sage gave a derisive snort, "Who the hell could sleep through the four of you carrying on like five-year-olds?" He cracked an eye open to stare at them, "Aside from someone who has taken a _hefty_ amount of sleeping pills."

"Oh ho, funny," the Torrent Ronin drawled out, before saying, "It is late though."

"Night all," Kento brought in settling down, putting an end to further discussion, or bickering rather.

"Night," the murmurs came in acknowledgement of this. Within moments all five were soundly sleeping.

* * *

_ 'Do not understand at all, do they?' _the Wildfire armor muttered in complaint.

Halo was quick to response, _'Seiji-sama does, much more aware than others.'_

_ 'Brother's bearer is know-it-all,' _the Strata armor snorted out. _'You are what humans call kiss-up.'_

_ 'Is 'suck up.' You are no better,' _Hardrock interjected not desiring to listen to the bickering.

Torrent was quick to divert the focus back onto the problem, _'Best we can do. We cannot make ourselves known in any other way other than through emotions, they are still not ready.'_

_ 'At current rate, never will be,' _Wildfire remarked in annoyance.

This is what happened...The minute their bearers were sound asleep, the armors would freely communicate with one another. They did not risk such things during daylight hours, knowing it was not yet time for their wearers to understand everything there was to know about them.

They _did_ come from another realm, and their reasons for being in this one stemmed much further than a desire to simply fight. Out of them all, Inferno was the only one with the desire to destroy everything.

The armors were here because they needed to be, if anything were to happen to this human world, their realm would be next on the list. It wasn't something they wanted to happen, so they permitted themselves to be used by humans for a common good.

But, it was they that had chosen their wearers...Each Ronin had proven to be a worthy bearer, and thus gained the armor's trust and use. The five young men didn't need to know that yet though. The armors were more than content to keep their silence, and only give hints when needed.

At this point they felt hinting was needed, and all were more than tempted to drop severe hints due to becoming frustrated with their wearers. It couldn't be helped, the human mind was far too complex and each had given up on figuring out mortals...It was just **_impossible_**.

_'Have patience brother,'_ the armor of Halo urged.

Wildfire gave a disgruntled, 'hmph' in response to that, but said little further as Hardrock spoke, _'Mine is 'shot' as they call it. Sure, brother's is too.'_

_ 'They're human, can't be helped,' _it was easy to tell the Torrent armor was tempted to knock a few helmets together.

Strata was quick to cut off retorts with, _'No more complaining. Should have picked smarter bearers.'_

_ 'Luck in finding smarter bearers that are male,' _Halo snorted. _'Luck in finding smarter bearers, period.'_

_'Valid point,'_ Wildfire remarked, _'Think bearers will be ready for coming fight?'_

_'If not, will make them ready,' _the Hardrock armor confidently stated. _'Won't be too hard, wearers not helpless.'_

_ 'Would not have chosen them if they were,' _Strata finished.

The armor of Torrent agreed, _'Will do what we can, as we always have. Can do no more than that.'_

With the conversation now complete, the five armors settled down no longer having anything to discuss. They would have no further need to communicate or continually put out for their bearer to be on guard. The five young men hadn't taken the hint entirely as they had planned, but it would have to do for now. It was best to leave their bearers to talk for the remainder of the stay without their constant prodding, anyway.


	5. Chapter 5 Saturday

* * *

**Chapter Five **

_**Saturday**_

* * *

Ryo cracked a blue-eye open, before crawling out of his futon, and stretching. Not to his surprise, Sage and Cye were already gone, their mats rolled up and tucked away. Kento and Rowen were still lounging in a comfortable sleep.

He shook his head a little, and rolled up his futon before placing it aside to free up space in the room. He then grabbed his clothes and slipped off to get a shower in, before breakfast.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked into the kitchen, "Morning Cye. Want help?"

"You can set the table if you like, other than that I'm good," the Water Ronin answered. "I haven't been able to cook for this many in a while, I actually miss it."

"Bet you don't miss the clean up," Wildfire's bearer commented with a chuckle as he set the table.

"Ah, but that's what Kento is for," Cye said with a grin. "How have you been Ryo? You were rather quiet last night."

"I'm fine, you guys worry _too_ much," the man brushed aside the concern…Feeling it was far too early to deal with being pestered about it.

Kento let out a snigger, as he walked into the kitchen, "They can't help it. They have to stick with what they are good at."

"Morning Kento," Ryo acknowledged, biting down a laugh at the venomous glare Torrent's bearer have to Hardrock.

"Good morning," the Warrior of Strength rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, "Want some help there Cye?"

"You just want to taste test."

"Ha ha, part of it," Kento admitted shamelessly, with a wry grin. "Seriously though…"

"Nope, I'm all right," the Ronin of Trust assured. "You're welcome to try and wake up Rowen."

"Yes!" the Hardrock Ronin whooped, saying, "The main thing I miss about living under one roof at Mia's place? Finding new wakes to wake up comatose."

He then walked out of the kitchen, intent on getting the 'dead to wake.'

"I'll go help him," Ryo cheerfully announced, following after his friend. Really, he just wanted to avoid a potential grilling. Cye happened to be very good at getting you to tell him what was on your mind.

* * *

"Hm," Hardrock's bearer mused as he eyed the sleeping archer. Kento was sitting cross-legged on the floor, head propped up on his hand as he pondered over the ways to wake the sleeping behemoth.

Ryo came into the room, and raised an eyebrow, "Uh, what are you-"

"Sh!" the Ronin of Strength put a finger to his lips. "I'm trying to make up my mind on how to wake him up."

"Oh, okay," the Wildfire Ronin merely shook his head and sat down to watch…This had the potential to be highly entertaining. Little did he know just how funny the scene would be…

The two of them sat in relative silence, only disturbed by Rowen's occasional snore…Everything was still. Kento continued to think about the options, and finally settled on the direct approach.

"I have it," he announced as he got up and walked over to the archer.

He seemed to pause, for but a moment, before bending down and pinching Rowen's ear, bellowing into it, "_**OI! Rowen,**_ _**wake**_ _**up!**_"

The blue-haired young man grumbled something unintelligible, as he simply rolled over…Taking Kento with him.

"Hey!" Hardrock's bearer protested, landing with a thud.

* * *

The Ronin of Strata's eyes moved behind closed lids, as he realized something was amiss. He wasn't quite sure what, but something was definitely off. He slowly opened his eyes, lazily blinking to clear his vision.

Kento inwardly smirked, not willing to pass up such a golden opportunity, "Hello _gorgeous_. How'd you sleep?"

"M'fine," Rowen snorted out closing his eyelids…It was just Kento, no big deal…No reason to…_**WHAT?!**_ The archer's midnight blue-eyes snapped open and he let out a blood-curdling scream.

Ryo instantly cracked up, and then started to howl when Strata's bearer leapt from the futon and back peddled all the way to the corner.

Cye and Sage came flying into the room, their looks of worry fading to bafflement at the scene. They had heard the scream and assumed something was wrong, but Ryo and Kento were laughing.

"What happened?" Torrent's bearer finally demanded.

Rowen's eyes had a wild look to them as he repeatedly pointed his finger at Hardrock's bearer, who was completely beside himself with laughter.

The Ronin Leader managed to calm down enough to say, "Ro didn't like Kento's way of waking him up!" He then succumbed to laughter once more.

The Ronin of Halo simply rolled his violet eyes and walked out of the room. At this point he was well aware of the fact his four friends, comrades, and brothers, were absolutely nuts and that no amount of therapy or medication could help them.

Though, he was seriously contemplating taking up drinking at this point.

Cye gave a huff in exasperation, "Breakfast is ready, you lot."

Ryo dabbed at his eyes with his thumb, and followed the Water Ronin out of the room. Kento chortled, his sides now aching from all the laughing he had done.

He walked up and slapped the archer in the shoulder, "Sorry buddy. But _man_, that was priceless."

Hardrock's bearer started laughing again as he headed off for the kitchen table, leaving Rowen to stand there and glare at his back.

The archer's eye twitched, he would definitely be sure to get Kento back for that one _later. _Yes, a plan was already formulating in his mind…Rowen yawned, forget it…He needed caffeine and food first, then he could accurately complete a plan to throttle Hardrock.

* * *

They ate breakfast in relative silence, some still trying to fight sleep, the rest just submerged in their own thoughts. It was something they went through every time they got together after being apart for any length of time.

It took them a little under two hours of interacting with each other before they fell back into old patterns, or familiar habits if you prefer. It was an oddity that they tended to overlook, not willing to take it for granted. There were some things they accepted without question, and that was one of them.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Rowen brought in, now on his third cup of tea and therefore more awake then he had been ten minutes before.

Sage gave a shrug when their eyes turned to him, "Up to you guys. I just invited you out here because I was bored."

"Yeah, sure," the Hardrock Ronin snorted out with an eye roll. Then jabbed, "You always look bored anyway."

The swordsman knew he was being baited and true to his form he refused to rise to it, he merely sipped at his tea and ignored Kento. The Warrior of Strength gave a huff and then turned his attention to the archer who merely glowered at him.

"Heh, he has Sage's creepy-eye look going on," Kento remarked, yelping when he got smacked in the back of the head.

Cye leveled a withering look at Hardrock, "Stop trying to pick a fight you."

"Aww, but MOOOMM," he whined, and then chortled at the look of outrage on Cye's face, which doubled when Strata and Halo laughed at it.

Ryo watched his friends with a belated amusement, remarking, "Well, you guys can figure something out. I'm off for my practice session, as soon as we're through with breakfast."

"You wha-?" the archer blinked at his leader with a small amount of surprise.

Kento's eyes lit up, "Hey! Can I join you, maybe get some sparring in?"

Yep, the Ronin of Hardrock had not changed in the slightest. Ryo's lips twitched upward in amusement, "Sure. After we help Cye with clean-up, though."

"Yessir!" Kento saluted and went back to eating. He was eager for the chance to work with someone other than his younger siblings and younger cousins. While all happened to be decent fighters, they could not keep up with him…Not the way Ryo and the other three Ronin could.

* * *

It really had taken very little time to clean up, but maybe that was due in part of the fact Kento was eager for a decent spar session. It failed to come as a surprise when the other three decided to join in the effort.

Sage had long ago completed his daily morning exercises, but it was rare that he got the chance to work with others. Since his ties with the family were just a tad iffy at the moment, he could not go to the dojo and practice with the classes. He could have sure, but it probably would not have been well-received.

The Ronin of Torrent was oddly silent; a small frown on his face as he went through a set of light arm stretches. It was odd how quickly that feeling of déjà vu would settle in when they were together practicing like this.

True, it wasn't something they did often at their get-togethers, but whenever they did the feeling was unshakable. It brought back plenty of memories, some welcome, others not so much.

"What's on your mind?" the archer queried, stretching out taut leg muscles. He had seen the look plenty times before, knew it for what it was better than any outsider.

Cye chuckled in amusement, "Just that we need to find things to do with our time, other than practicing like we're still fighting a war. We need to get girlfriends."

"Or just laid," the Ronin of Hardrock blithely commented, saying to the looks on the others' faces. "What?! You _were_ thinking it. I figured I'd say it aloud."

Sage let out a low moan, "I am going to take up drinking, I swear."

"You'd make a lousy alcoholic Sage," the Ronin Leader brought in with a chuckle. "You're too courteous to be a mean drunk."

They all had to laugh at this, because the statement was more than likely true…And the day he became an alcoholic would be the day the other four started up a boy band.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Rowen queried having completed his stretches now. "I'm itching for a warm up lap or two, but that's just me."

Halo's bearer gave a shake of his head, that about the archer never changed, "I'll run with you."

"Meh," the Ronin of Hardrock made a face, he had never liked running. He could do it, but he preferred not to even go there. Kento looked expectantly to Ryo, "Tag-team?"

"Sure," Ryo chuckled out with a grin. "As long as Cye is up for it."

The Ronin of Torrent gave a derisive snort, "I can keep up with your scrawny hide. Go first Kento, you're dying to burn off all that weight you put on."

"What weight?" the Warrior of Strength demanded in annoyance as he glowered at his friend.

The Water Ronin gave a triumphant smirk at having been able to put one over the man. He placed his arms behind his head and leaned back on them, letting out an innocent whistle…Kento's eye twitched.

"Ignore him," the Ronin Leader shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Let's just focus on the fight."

"Works for me," the Ronin of Hardrock said with a nod, before he and Wildfire exchanged bows and began.

* * *

"Want a head start?" the archer teased the swordsman as they lined up to begin their run. The two had decided on five laps around the koi pond…And it being Sage's family and all, the pond was more like a lake.

Halo's bearer snorted, "You give it to me, and I'll make sure I bury you."

"That supposed to mean 'eat my dust, Ro?'" the Strata Ronin asked with an arched eyebrow.

Sage gave a nod, "Basically."

"You're on," the archer commented, he had always liked a challenge.

They counted down from five, and then started off. Rowen immediately leapt into a sprint, while Sage shook his blond head and kept it to a light jog. He knew very well his best friend was built for speed, but that speed only lasted for so long.

After that, the archer would be reduced to running like a normal person, and that is when the bearer of Halo had plans to make use of his reserve speed. Hey, he didn't often get the chance to be sneaky, so he used that advantage when he could.

At about lap three, Rowen had gotten a comfortable lead and run out of most of his high energy. Still, the swordsman waited until they were mid-way into the fourth lap before increasing his stride and eating up the distance between him and the archer.

"Hi, Rowen," Sage cheerfully remarked, taking great satisfaction when Strata's bearer yelped in surprise. Obviously he had not seen the swordsman come up next to him. "Bye Rowen," the blond commented as he easily passed the archer and finished the fifth lap before his friend.

The archer scowled, "I _hate_ when you do that!" He managed to catch his breath, having tried to put on some more speed to catch up with Sage…But, the other man had gained way too much of a lead.

The Halo Ronin merely chuckled, directing his violet gaze to where the other three were. He had heard the fighting between Ryo and Kento, when Hardrock's bearer had switched out with Cye, and noticed when it became, more or less, a free-for-all.

"Wanna join?" Rowen queried, his midnight-blue eyes weighing the situation at hand.

"Why not?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, most of the playful banter between the five of them had died down completely. Each was focused on trying to get the other out, but they were far too intent on it now.

A consequence of being a warrior and fighting demons when you were a teenager, was that sometimes sparring matches ended up jump-starting the mind into thinking it was a life-or-death situation…Simply meaning, that they all wanted to win, and none of them wanted to lose.

Brown eyes watched this display; the owner of them sprawled out on the porch. He never strayed far from them, never would either. They had become his to watch over and care for.

Wildfire was very much his cub, the other four were important to Ryo, thus they had become important to him as well…They were his 'adopted cubs' and nobody messed with them and got away with it.

White Blaze let out a yawn as the fight continued, and finally hauled himself to his feet. The tiger knew when the five of them were taking things far too seriously, and this had gone on long enough now. He was bored of watching them…Besides it wasn't like they were using the undergear, which could've prevented most of the bruises they were going to have tomorrow.

* * *

Ryo let out a loose breath, trying to keep as focused on this fight as possible. Yeah, it was just a simple sparring match, but really he was not in the mood to lose it. The other four were a little out of breath as well; each watched the other warily waiting for the next move.

The Wildfire Ronin was a little surprised, he knew he had kept up with a strict training regiment, and where he thought the others would've cut most of it out, they were in such good shape there was no way they had cut back _that_ much.

Were they as restless as he had become? Had they felt the armors pull, heard the faint warning bell in the back of their head go off? It was probable then, that something was coming after all. But what it could possibly be, he did not want to guess at.

He abruptly dove to the side as Cye came at him, as Wildfire's bearer rebounded he tried to knock Strata off his feet, but Rowen was prepared for it, and blocked all too easily.

Ryo grumbled something under his breath, as he tried to go for Sage next, who easily repelled him and diverted the strike to Kento…Who was not at all pleased that the swordsman had just tried to get him out in such a fashion.

None of them expected the newcomer to the fight…Only realizing it, until it was far too late to do any good.


	6. Chapter 6: Saturday Continued

**Chapter Six **

_**Saturday- Continued**_

* * *

"What the-!" Rowen exclaimed as he was suddenly bowled over, due to someone running into him…He landed on his back with a thud, and Cye, Sage, and Ryo were in much the same position.

They quickly pulled themselves up just in time to watch as Kento fell backwards into the koi pond, with quite a large splash…Which resulted in them getting some of the spray.

White Blaze stood at full attention, quite pleased with his interference as the Hardrock Ronin sputtered and flailed in the pond's water. Task complete, the tiger crooked his tail and calmly padded back off to his spot on the porch as if nothing had just happened.

The five Ronin Warriors were simply baffled by the action, and could only shake their heads…They didn't want to know, really, they didn't.

"Let me help you out of there," the Water Ronin remarked in amusement as he walked to the bank and offered Hardrock a hand.

Kento was very annoyed that he had been ruthlessly shoved into the mini-lake, "Thanks." So much so, that he did not feel the least bit guilty about yanking Cye into the water with him.

"Oi!" Torrent's bearer glowered, not at all pleased that he was now soaked, he proceeded to dunk Kento's head under the water. "Grab a fish while you're down there and we can have fresh sushi for lunch."

"Not my Grandfather's koi you don't," the swordsman remarked in warning, eyes narrowed.

"Joke Sage, it was a _joke_," Cye rolled his eyes at the other, then sighed through his nose at the blond's comment: "I know."

"You should let him up for air," the Ronin Leader dryly remarked, letting out a low moan at the grimace Cye made, who quickly released Hardrock's bearer. Apparently, the Torrent Ronin forgot he had a tight grip on his best friend…Whoops.

Kento came up gasping for breath, and managed to pant, "He's…Trying…To…Kill…Me!"

"Ha, so he is," the Ronin of Strata chortled, clutching his sides as he laughed. He didn't feel the need to get back at Hardrock now; Cye had just done that for him.

Sage gave a roll of his violet eyes and merely walked back off to the house. Now that he was covered in sweat and pond water, he was in need of a fresh change of clothes…They all were actually.

"Oi! No dripping on the hardwood floors," the swordsman remarked over his shoulder at the pair as they finally emerged from the water.

"Neat freak," Kento grumbled under his breath.

"I _heard_ that."

Hardrock's bearer yelped, "Gah! I hate when you do that. What are you a freaking elf?!"

Rowen looked at the Chinese man with amusement, "Guess that makes you a dwarf."

"Why I oughta-"

The Ronin of Trust gave a derisive snort, "Ryo's the smallest,_ he_ should be the dwarf." He then smirked, "That or a Halfling."

"Gee thanks a _lot_ Cye," Ryo started to walk away, but did cast a brief look at the sky, _'Why me?'_

* * *

The five of them were quick to change into clean dry clothes, mainly because of Sage's warning them about dripping on the hardwood floors.

A foolish mistake would have been to take the swordsman's comment as a joke, or that was what they all figured. The blond _had_ been kidding, but he wasn't going to complain about not having to mop up the mess.

"Hey Cye," the Ronin of Wildfire queried, pulling his shirt over his head, "You never did say anything about your job last night."

Torrent's bearer gave an amused chuckle, fishing out a pair of sucks from the bottom of his luggage case, "That's because I'm unemployed."

"I thought you were working out at sea," Sage remarked with a frown, "Cataloging the species on expeditions."

Cye gave a nod to this, "I was, but I had to give up my position when Sayoko had the twins. I couldn't expect my poor brother-in-law to run the shop by himself, Mum's in no shape to be working more than two hours a day, and it wasn't fair to have him do all the work himself."

"I went on about three expeditions with them, drew the sea life they found, even though we didn't discover anything new or remarkable, and that was about it," the Torrent Ronin remarked.

Yes, everyone had expected Cye to major in Marine Biology and work with sea-life…But no one had expected him to minor in art, and actually go along on expeditions to _draw_ what the group found.

Pictures from cameras might have done the same thing, but they failed to capture the detail that he managed to. The group had certainly valued the detail his hand-drawings had provided. But, he had been needed at home.

"Anyway, it was just as well I headed back on home," Cye said stretching out his arms, as they had started to stiffen.

Rowen shook his head at this, "No way. You were way too good at what you were doing. You've got a hell of a talent with a paintbrush."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the archer, the Ronin of Torrent arching in eyebrow and frowning in confusion.

"You guys worry me sometimes," Strata's bearer remarked. "You shouldn't be so surprised. I subscribe to several scientific journals. The expedition made it in there. So I saw the work."

Rowen was quiet for a moment, before looking thoughtful, "Matter of fact," he began rummaging through his bag.

Not surprisingly there was a bunch of scientific journals in the one zippered section of his bag. After a moment of glancing through them, he found the one he was looking for. He flipped it open and thumbed through the pages, placing it down on the small table, "I have the issue here."

Ryo blinked, completely surprised, "Woah, Cye! You're really good."

The detail and effort put into the piece showed, even though it was merely a photograph of the work. The painting itself could have easily passed for a picture taken by a high-quality camera.

Kento beamed, he looked like a very proud parent, "I've been telling him that for ages."

The Water Ronin was slightly embarrassed at the praise, and moved to dismiss it, "Everyone has a talent. Mine doesn't happen to amount to much."

To this the blond swordsman snorted, "That's ridiculous. In the right setting any talent can be useful, even those that one never thinks much on."

"Speaking of talents," the archer queried, "What is the great kendo master doing with himself?" He paused and then elaborated, "Haven't really heard much from you lately. Other than, the call yoinking me from the hell that is university life, and you were quiet last night."

"Little to talk about," Sage commented, "Still working at the business firm, and studying for a degree. I can only be a part-time student, though. It's too expensive and harrowing to be a full-time student, pay all the bills, and work the hours I'm currently keeping."

When it looked like Rowen was about to comment about how it could be done, the swordsman was quick to tease, "Not all of us are gifted when it comes to being more intelligent than the entire faculty."

The blue-haired archer snorted and rolled his eyes, not at all desiring to acknowledge the jab with a verbal response.

Ryo turned his laugh into a cough, before saying, "Rowen's intelligent true, that doesn't make him _smarter_ than the faculty."

The others proceeded to crack up as the archer threw an ugly look to his leader, not at all appreciating the comment.

"And Rowen and I talked about our boring lives last night," the Hardrock Ronin commented, as his eyes settled on Ryo. He figured it was about time to get to the point of this meet-and-greet…And he was sure the others had sensed it as well

Suddenly, Ryo shifted well aware that their eyes were now on him. He let out a nervous sigh, not really wanting to talk about it. "You already know what's going on with me."

"Mhm," Cye admitted with a nod, "We don't know the "why" though."

Now the Ronin Leader was even more uncomfortable, and he avoided looking at them, picking a spot on the wall and focusing on it. Did they really have to talk about this, now?

* * *

"Ryo, we all feel something is up," the Ronin of Strata finally spoke, knowing the silence getting them nowhere. "And we're pretty sure you've felt it for longer than we have."

If it were possible for him to look guilty, Ryo looked that way now. But, even with their prying he refused to crack. It wasn't something he was even sure he could talk about, because he didn't know how to put it into words.

The Warrior of Strength decided to try his hand after exchanging a brief look with Sage who gave a nod, "Look dude, it's bothering you so much it's starting to bug us even though we're up to hundreds of miles away. Isn't it better to talk about it, instead of letting it gnaw at you?

"What's there to talk about, Kento? I just get feelings, impressions…And the armor is…I don't know how to explain it, it's edgy," the Ronin of Wildfire lamely finished.

He gave a frustrated sigh, "It's a warning that much I get. But, I don't know what the warning is for. The past few days my armor was acting up badly, but it's been quiet ever since I got here. Why is it quiet now?"

"It's hard to say. What do we even really know about these armors anyway?" Cye commented, "We knew more about the old ones than we do about this set, and there's no one to learn from. We're pretty much on our own."

Sage had let them all talk back and forth; he had always prided himself on being a listener not a talker. He only ever added his input when he felt he had something valuable to say. By listening you could gain much more knowledge about the situation than you could from talking.

The swordsman let out a sigh, blowing up at the strands of hair that covered his one eye, causing them to stir slightly, "That's true, but perhaps it is wiser to take this from the view that we were simply being prepared for this step."

"Watcha mean?" Strata's bearer queried. Rowen thought he knew what Sage meant, but he was not quite sure.

"Look at it in this way," the blond elaborated, "With the old armors we were the students, and the Ancient was our teacher. We were taught everything we could have been taught. Fighting against the Dynasty was part of that, the other battles were simply an extension of lessons already learned."

He paused for a moment, before finishing with, "With the new armors we are completely on our own. Just like anyone else starting off in a 'new' life."

"I get it," Kento brought in now, "Suzunagi was like a final test; to see if we had learned the lessons well. By passing we, more or less, graduated, proved we were tough enough to handle the real world on our own."

Ryo was silent for several minutes, before he murmured, "We've weathered a lot of storms together. I'm just concerned about when the next one will make landfall."

Wildfire's bearer did not add that he felt the storm would come soon. It wasn't the right time to say such things, or that is the way he felt.

"So it makes landfall, big deal," Rowen said waving his hand dismissively, trying to dispel his leader's worry, "Doubt very much we'll end up blown away."

Cye outright snorted at that, "If you bother to remember Rowen, we did end up blown away the _first_ time."

"Hey not like we had control over Talpa sending a huge-ass tornado at us!" Rowen protested with a scowl, eyes narrowing at the Ronin of Torrent, who glowered right back.

The Ronin Leader could only shake his head and softly laugh, which caught their attention.

Sage quirked an eyebrow, "What is so funny?"

He looked at them, and commented in amusement, "You guys never change. The more things appear to change, the more I realize nothing has at all."

* * *

"Aww," Kento cooed, grabbing his leader in a one armed hug, "He's getting sappy on us." Hardrock's bearer than gave an evil grin, "That means, _noogie_ time!"

"Bahhh Kento! Lemme go!" Ryo yelped in protest, but it was absolutely pointless for him to struggle…The Warrior of Strength had a death-grip on him.

Cye and Rowen were completely oblivious of what was occurring to their leader, having gone back to bickering almost instantly. The Ronin of Halo could only watch all of this with a small grin on his face, as he had sat down.

He exchanged a glance with the white tiger who had just padded into the room, and then the majestic beast flopped down beside him, emitting an enormous yawn.

"Ever get tired of dealing with us kids Blaze?" the swordsman of Halo queried with a small grin.

The white tiger seemed to ponder the question for a moment before giving a nod, and then an abrupt shake of his head. To this, the Ronin of Light and Spirit could only chuckle.

"I understand completely. Some days I have this odd desire to strangle them, and others I am quite thankful they are a part of my life."

Sage and the tiger both sighed when the bickering and noogieing led to a four-way brawl.

"Of course, a completely dull life might not be a _bad_ thing at this point," the swordsman dryly remarked.

White Blaze could only give a nod of his head in agreement as they continued to watch the others almost literally roll around the room.

…When the time came the Ronin Warriors would be ready to take up arms and fight once more. But for now, they would remain on alert and enjoy what time they had living as 'normal' people; taking opportunities to gather, like this, when they could.

-End

* * *

_A/N: And here you have it, the last chapter of TSW. The Epilogue will be uploaded later. TSW was written to answer some of the questions I left in Idle Recollections, but it wasn't meant to cover all the questions. Also, I intended to bring in new ones and not answer all of them. TSW does tie into "The Gathering of the Legends" series, but only if you want it to. Really, I was hoping to use this as a bridge not only for TGOL, but also for a completely different fanfic (which I have yet to decide 'what' it will be). But, if you read this and then decide to read TGOL, TGOL might make a little more sense. I'm not guaranteeing it though ;-) _

_Thanks very much for reading and reviewing!_

_LG_


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**Monday**_

* * *

The weekend came to a close, perhaps a little too quickly for the five of them. It always seemed that the time spent together went faster than the time spent a part…But perhaps it was wishful thinking and nothing more.

The white tiger had departed the night before, leaving them to shake their heads in amusement when they woke up in the morning and he was already gone.

They had gathered up their things, made sure their luggage was packed correctly, and that they were not leaving anything behind…Before sitting down and eating breakfast together. The meal was taken in absolute silence, but it was not an awkward one, simply the type of silence that resulted from being comfortable.

Not a word was spoken, even as they gathered up their things, somehow managed to shove everything into Sage's car, and then fit themselves into it. The only comment that was made, was Ryo telling Rowen it was a good thing he was practically non-existent physique wise, otherwise they'd never have fit in the back seat.

And no, the archer was not thrilled with said comment, but at that point the caffeine had yet to kick in. So, he let it slide.

They arrived at the station with a fair amount of time to spare…If anyone was punctual it was the blond swordsman; another odd quirk about the man the others had all come to accept.

Rowen and Cye had the first train out of the Sendai station, and it was not that long of a wait before they had to board.

* * *

"Well then, been fun all," the Water Ronin remarked, exchanging a handshake with each of his friends. "See you all again soon. Keep in touch, between now and then though."

Ryo grinned, "Sure thing, Cye. You take it easy."

"No problem," Torrent's bearer remarked as he started to walk away, "Later, Kento, Sage."

"Bye Cye," Hardrock's bearer said with a chuckle, looking to Strata, "Gonna stand there all day?"

"Maybe," Rowen smirked, before saying, "I'll be seein all of you nuts. Wanna reach me? I'll be at Cye's place. Later!"

The other three could only shake their heads and laugh, more so when Cye whapped Rowen in the back of the head, having caught the comment.

"My train leaves in about ten minutes," the Ronin of Wildfire remarked, as Torrent and Strata's train pulled out of the station. He held his carryon with one hand, and rubbed at the back of his neck with the other. Well, he wasn't really looking forward to having to go back 'home' but, it could have been worse.

Kento seemed to pick up on his leader's thoughts, as he remarked, "Going back is always a kicker. I'd much rather take a very long vacation and avoid dealing with my…Oh-so-_helpful_ siblings. But, what are we going to do, eh?"

"I'm just thankful I was an only child," Ryo chuckled out, glancing at his watch and letting out a sigh.

The swordsman caught his leader's gaze, "If you need anything call. I don't care what it's about, just pick up the phone."

"I will," the Ronin Leader promised, exchanging a firm hand-shake with his best friend, and then a formal bow as per tradition.

True to his nature, the Warrior of Strength forwent what he considered 'formal crap' and got his leader in a bear hug, "You need to take it easy too. Don't sweat it, all right? Anything happens; we _will_ all be able to handle it."

Ryo grinned, "I know that, just wanted you guys to reiterate for me. Talk to you later." This stated, the Ronin of Wildfire walked onto his train, and took a seat.

* * *

Sage only spoke the moment the doors to the train slipped shut, and it pulled out of the station, "I think it helped Kento."

Hardrock's bearer gave a nod to this, "Agreed. I think it helped all of us really. We needed the time out, more than I thought. You really _are_ an elf…All knowing, all seeing."

The swordsman gave a snort at this, "Now you're making me sound as though I'm a demigod."

Kento let out a horrified gasp, "You mean to tell me you aren't? And all this time, I thought the girls in highschool flocked around you solely because of that." He chortled at the death-glare the swordsman tossed at him, then looked at his watch, "Meh, my train is about to leave. Got to get, buddy."

"I'll talk to you later Kento, it was good seeing you again," the Ronin of Halo commented with a bow of his head, which Hardrock's bearer returned. The swordsman then turned and started to walk away.

The Warrior of Strength smirked, "See ya in about a week, Sage."

Halo's bearer let out an amused laugh at this, waving at the man from over his shoulder, "See you then."

Kento waited until Sage disappeared from his line of sight, before turning and rushing towards his train, hopping on it, just as the doors started to slide shut.

* * *

The Ronin of Hardrock let out a sigh as he placed his bag onto the overhead and then took his seat. He leaned back into the chair, his blue-eyes going to the window, watching as the train started to pull out of the station.

It had been good to see the others again, and taking a break from the sometimes stifling normalcy had also been most welcome. But, now it was time to head back to the daily grind of a typical 'mortal' life.

Kento knew the others had left feeling a lot more at ease than when they had arrived, even he did not feel as tense as he had. He was getting nothing from the armor now; apparently it was content as well.

"Ryo said that we had weathered a lot of storms," the Warrior of Strength murmured to himself. "We'll be sure to weather the next one too, after all, who else would be capable of defending the planet?"

As the snack cart went by, Kento decided to honor his decision to allow Sage and Rowen to do all the heavy-thinking for the group, and focused on getting enough munchies to last him the long ride home.

Leaning back further into his seat, his mind was on the work he would have to complete for the restaurant…No longer on the warnings from the armors, or the battle that may, or may not, be right around the next bend.

…None of them could have realized how soon the fight would be upon them, nor how much it would entail…

* * *

...But, that is another story, for another day.

-End

* * *

___A/N: Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed this story. I really appreciate having your comments. All in all I feel TSW turned out quite well. I had a lot of fun writing it, and it made for a good exercise in Ronin character interaction. TSW was set up to take place after "Idle Recollections" and "Anything but Perfect," but it also works well as a stand alone story. It can also function as a prequel for The Gathering of The Legends, as much of the character information I use in TSW shows up in TGOL. I do plan, eventually, to write a completely different sequel for TSW but that will be **after **I have completed my other fanfic projects (or most of them). If you have no desire to read TGOL (or even if you do read it), be on the look-out for "Wait and See" a Warlord/Masho fic that I am currently working on. Also keep an eye out for an entirely different fic, based off of "Unspoken" written by Sifirela._

_Again, thank-you all for reading, and special thanks to those that left me comments. Feedback is always nice to have. :-)_

_Till the next time!_

_-LG_


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